Sugar Land City Council approved a $2.2 million contract for drainage improvements in the Telfair community Nov. 16.

The project will be funded by the 2019 voter-supported bond totaling $90.76 million. According to a statement from the city, the projects in the bond were chosen based on extensive planning through various master plans, as well as input from City Council and the results of citizen satisfaction surveys, which indicated drainage, public safety and mobility are the top three resident priorities. Under the bond, more than $47 million will go toward drainage improvements, including the Telfair project, which is located at New Territory Boulevard and Chatham Avenue.

"This project addresses a need identified by our residents and demonstrates our commitment to deliver projects approved by voters in the 2019 bond election," City Engineer Jessie Li said. "This intersection regularly experiences excessive street ponding during major storm events. A drainage study was completed in 2018 for this intersection, and the study identified the area exceeded the city's performance criteria as identified in our master drainage plan."

The project, which will include the installation of a new storm sewer line parallel to the existing line and the enlargement of inlets, is expected to begin in December and should be complete by May. The new line will start at the intersection of New Territory Boulevard, extend south down Chatham Avenue for 2,000 feet and then discharge into a drainage facility run by Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District No. 17.